●Nicholas●
If most people had keener eyes, they'd see straight through him—Jonathan wasn't a good man. Most politicians weren't, but with him it was almost blatant. It was in the sharp cut of his jaw, the calculating glint that never left his eyes. He wore his villainy terribly, and it genuinely baffled me how people had voted him in as the senator twice.
"Darling—" he started, then his attention shifted to me. "Oh, Nicholas." His hand came out for a handshake. I took it and offered him my best saint-like smile.
"Yeah, that's me," I said evenly.
He stepped closer to his wife, his arm sliding around her waist with casual possession, like he needed to remind both of us who she belonged to. "I'm honestly surprised to see you here," he said with a laugh.
"I ran into your wife a few days ago and she offered me an invite to the gala, I just couldn't turn down an invitation tied to charity," I replied smoothly, my tone warm and polite. As I spoke, my gaze dropped to Everlyne—just for a moment too long to be accidental.
Jonathan noticed and as a result, his hand tightened at her waist. Did the bastard think that I wanted to fuck his wife or something!
As a waitress passed by, I placed my untouched champaign on her tray before she moved on, and almost immediately, Mrs. Blake tilted her head, concern softening her features.
"Is the champagne not to your liking?"
I gave a small, apologetic smile. "It's a bit sweet for me," I said easily. "I also just came from another event. Guess my palate's still adjusting."
She smiled at my response which made me wonder if she ever got tired of smiling at people. Her husband, however, was watching me like he was trying to peel me apart layer by layer.
I couldn't be too overfriendly otherwise he might start suspecting me before I could even gain a bit of his trust.
After chatting with the couple for a while, I decided to take my leave and enjoy the rest of the event like everyone else.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Blake," I said, taking her hand like the gentleman I knew how to pretend to be. I brought it to my lips, pressing a brief kiss to the back of her hand. My eyes flicked up just in time to catch the tightening of Jonathan's jaw. The old guy got ruffled up so easily.
"Mr. Blake," I added, extending my hand again.
He shook it, but just as I started to step away, he stopped me. "Nicholas." He reached into his jacket and handed me a card. "This is my business number. You never know when you might need someone—especially in business."
I took it without hesitation and slipped it into my coat pocket.
"I appreciate that."
I excused myself and headed for the washroom, slipping the tiny earpiece into place before rejoining the crowd. The hum of the gala swelled around me again.
"Did you manage to speak to him?" Leon asked quietly through the comm.
"Yes," I replied, scanning the room. "But I don't think that it will be easy to earn his trust."
I was weaving through the crowd when something—someone, pulled my attention sharp enough to stop me mid-step.
She was standing alone, one hand resting on the railing, a phone pressed to her ear. The noise of the ballroom faded into the background as my eyes settled on her. Her dark brown hair fell down her back in soft waves, catching the light. She was wearing black, elegant, dress that looked like it was just made for her.
"Nico—" Leon's voice cut in through the earpiece. "We should leave."
I didn't answer right away.
My eyes were still on her. On those red lips. I wanted to kiss her. Hard. Wanted to ruin that soft smile she was giving whoever was on the other end of the call. Wanted to see if she'd still look so calm with my mouth on hers.
She laughed quietly, turning her face just enough for the light to catch her features, and damn, the girl was really beautiful.
I pulled my phone out without thinking and snapped a photo of her.
"I'm coming," I muttered to Leon, finally forcing my eyes away from her.
I left before I could change my mind.
When I slid into the backseat, Leon didn't even wait for the door to shut.
"What the fuck was that?" he snapped, pulling the car away from the curb. "Don't tell me your earpiece wasn't working."
I leaned back against the seat.
"It was working, I just got distracted by beauty."
Leon just gave me a blank look before adding, "Next time you need to sightsee, take a trip to the beach or something."
As the car pulled away from the mansion, I took my phone out again and her photo filled the screen.
I stared at it for a long moment before pulling my laptop from the bag and balancing it on my knee. I uploaded the image into the system. Facial recognition ran instantly and within seconds, everything about her flooded the screen—public records, private files, things I wasn't supposed to have access to but did anyway.
Sienna Blake was the only daughter of a businessman and politicians, Jonathan Blake. She was twenty-three years old and had just graduated last year with degree in business management.
She had graduated with First-class honours at Havard and as I went through her academic records, I could just tell how smart she was.
I knew Jonathan had a child. I just never bothered to learn her name or what she looked like. Politicians kept their families out of sight for a reason—family was a weakness. Something people could use against you.
I scrolled through a few photos of her, and fuck! The girl was really beautiful. The kind that didn't need any effort.
I'd had women. Plenty of them. I had never been the type to deny myself what I wanted, and this wouldn't be any different. I'd go to her. I'd charm her. I'd figure out what it was about her that had got under my skin so fast. Maybe once my curiosity was satisfied, this fascination would die out.
I closed the laptop and set it on the seat beside me, my eyes lifting back to the road ahead.